How to maintain good hand washing hygiene with the right safety signs

If you take a moment to consider the number of surfaces you are likely to touch on a daily basis in the workplace, the number is sure to add up. In fact, studies show that we touch our faces an average of 16 times an hour. With germs including coronavirus spread easily through physical contact, we are being advised that regular and thorough hand washing is one of the best ways to minimise contamination.

For business owners, this presents a new challenge. How do you ensure employees follow the new guidance rigidly? How do you actively protect their health while reinforcing the importance of this simple task? One highly effective way is through the use of safety signs - particularly those tailored towards appropriate hand hygiene.

What are the current handwashing guidelines?

In truth, the guidelines for washing hands properly have been around for years. Those within the medical industry, for example, are required to ensure they use hand soaps and sanitisers appropriately to minimise the spread of germs. It is just in light of the COVID-19 pandemic that these recommendations are being highlighted more visibly to the general public.

Guidance from the Centres of Disease Control and Prevention states that you should wash your hands after you have been in a public place, touched items of surfaces frequently touched by others and before touching your eyes, nose or mouth. To do so properly, you should:

• Wet hands with cold or warm running water
• Apply soap and lather it between your hands, ensuring to cover the backs, all fingers and underneath nails.
• Hand washing should be continued for at least 20 seconds. The recommendations are to hum/sing ‘Happy Birthday’ fully 2 times to achieve this time frame
• Rinse your hands under warm or cold water
• Dry using a clean towel.

When handwashing facilities aren’t available, you should use a 60% min alcohol-based sanitiser. This shouldn’t replace hand washing and should only be used as an alternative in the interim.

How can hand washing signs help?

Consistent and repeat reminders are an effective way of ensuring compliance with new regulations. Safety signs such as our Prevent Coronavirus - Wash Your Hands or our Sanitise Your Hands should be placed in high contact areas. They act as a nudge, reminding people that the threat is very much still out there and that precautions should be taken seriously. They are available in 3 sizes to suit your needs and come in either a self-adhesive vinyl or 1mm rigid plastic - both of which can also be cleaned and sanitised easily.

We have a selection of handwashing signs designed to support the fight against coronavirus available on our website. If you have any questions or are interested in designing a bespoke sign for your business, get in contact with the team here at Lasting Impressions.